


Apartment 4A

by mogirl97



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Lightly angsty, Roommates, supercorp rewrite of the pilot episode, this is mostly fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-28 20:55:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17190245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mogirl97/pseuds/mogirl97
Summary: Kara opened the email that her sister had sent her and skimmed the details of the roommate seeking advertisement she had attached. Her eyes widened in surprise when she got to the contact information.Lena Luthor.Reaching for her phone, she shot her sister a quick text.KARA: A Luthor huh?{A Supercorp Roommates AU}





	1. part 1

**Author's Note:**

> hi friends! i got this idea to rewrite the pilot episode of supergirl with the twist of kara and lena being roommates prior to the events that unfolded. this is my first time writing supercorp (not as a side pairing in one of my other fics) so hopefully i did a good job with the characterization :D i’m posting this fic in 2 parts because it got quite long, and the second part will be up saturday night, so keep an eye out for that. enjoy!

Kara opened the email that her sister had sent her and skimmed the details of the roommate seeking advertisement she had attached. Her eyes widened in surprise when she got to the contact information. **  
**

_Lena Luthor_

Reaching for her phone, she shot her sister a quick text.

**KARA: A Luthor huh?**

While she waited for Alex to respond, she returned to looking at the pictures of Lena Luthor’s apartment. It was admittedly gorgeous, and far nicer than anything she would be able to afford on her own with her assistant salary. Crashing at Alex’s place had been fun for the first few weeks since a pipe had burst and flooded her old building, but the one bedroom apartment was a little cramped with the two of them. And if Alex’s eager assistance on the housing search was any indication, her big sister was ready for her to move out.

She wondered what reason Lena could possibly have for seeking a roommate. It certainly wasn’t because she couldn’t afford to live on her own. On her way to work everyday, Kara passed the gleaming tower that bore the Luthor name. The family’s wealth was no secret. Neither was her cousin’s role in Lex’s downfall.

**ALEX: Maybe she’s different than her brother. Besides, it’s not like she would ever know you’re related to Superman.**

**ALEX: and the rent she’s asking for is insanely low**

**ALEX: like… unrealistically low for that part of town**

**KARA: maybe it’s hard to find a roommate when your last name is Luthor**

**ALEX: I’m not entirely sure why she even needs a roommate**

It was the same thing Kara had wondered.

**ALEX: but don’t question it, send her your info**

Kara bit her lip and looked at the ad again. It would be a nice place to live. And she wasn’t Clark. And Lena wasn’t Lex…

At least she hoped that Lena wasn’t like her brother. She didn’t know much about Lena except that she had recently moved to National City to transform LuthorCorp into LCorp following Lex’s arrest.

Opening her email, Kara drafted a response to the advertisement, addressed to [Lena@LCorp.net](mailto:Lena@LCorp.net).

* * *

Lena moved the vase of flowers a fraction of an inch to the left and took a step back to assess if it was perfectly positioned in the center of her entryway table. Not for the first time did she consider canceling her rapidly approaching appointment with the potential renter who was stopping by that afternoon. She wasn’t sure what had even possessed her to seek out a roommate.

_You’re lonely._

That aggravating, inescapable voice in her head reminded her.

Taking over the company, and the piles and piles of work that came with that task, had been giving her an excuse to stay at her office until late hours of the night. She could put off coming home to nothing but her own swirling thoughts and solitude until she was tired enough to go straight to bed.

But she had begun to grow weary of the walls she had put up to keep herself isolated, and to avoid the very real possibility that no one would ever want to get close to her because she was a Luthor. Everyone in National City seemed to have an opinion of her, very few of them positive.

The other week her assistant had made an offhand comment about going out with her roommates to try a new restaurant and a pang of unexpected jealousy hit her. So, in a spur of the moment decision—after a few drinks—Lena had her realtor work up an ad to rent out her second bedroom. She figured the worst thing that could happen was that she wouldn’t get a single response and she wouldn’t have to worry about anyone using her favorite mug or hogging all the hot water. Not getting a response didn’t mean that no one wanted to be her friend, it just meant that no one was looking for a place to live.

To her pleasant surprise, she had gotten a few responses to her inquiry. She had done meticulous screenings on all of them. She wasn’t so desperate that she would let just anyone into her home. Narrowing it down to two potential candidates, she had scheduled appointments for them to come see the apartment in person. And for her to assess them.

Kara Danvers was set to arrive in twenty-five minutes. The background check on her had revealed that she was an assistant to Cat Grant at CatCo Worldwide Media. Lena’s paranoid instincts had initially jumped to the conclusion that she was being planted as a spy for an exclusive story on the mysterious and private Lena Luthor.

There was a part of her that still was worried.

But there was something about Kara that Lena was drawn to. An Instagram profile flooded with pictures of Kara and her sister reminded Lena of the way things used to be between her and Lex before everything changed.

Lena pulled out her phone and opened Instagram again. Tapping Kara’s name from her recent searches she was greeted with the friendly, warm smile, that upon first seeing her initial thought had been that it was one she would like seeing in person. Every day.

She tamped down the flutter of expectations that she felt rising up inside of her. She was getting ahead of herself.

Her thoughts circled back to, _“What in the world am I doing seeking out a roommate?”_ and she decided to distract herself with some work until Kara arrived.

* * *

“Excuse me?” Kara stepped up to the desk to get the receptionist’s attention. In the email from Lena, she had been given a heads up that non-residents had to be admitted to the elevators. Looking around the lobby, with its armed security and elegant water feature covering one wall and minimalistic chandeliers, she tried to imagine herself living somewhere so ritzy. The receptionist cleared her throat and Kara snapped her attention away from the wall that had been transformed into something that resembled both a waterfall and a piece of modern art. “Oh umm sorry, I’m here to see Ms. Luthor. She’s expecting me...”

“Name?”

“Kara Danvers.”

The receptionist picked up a phone and pressed a series of buttons. “Ms. Luthor? There’s a Ms. Danvers here for you.” Hanging up, she addressed Kara and gestured in the direction of the elevators, “Fourth floor. Apartment A.”  

Inside the elevator, Kara smoothed her hands over her slacks and fiddled with her glasses and wondered if she should have brought something with her. Like flowers. Or donuts.

While she was still considering whether or not she had already botched her first impression, and entirely before she was ready, the elevator doors opened out to the fourth floor and she found herself in the hallway facing the front door to Lena Luthor’s apartment.

Potentially her apartment.

She knocked twice and the door swung open a moment later.

“Hi. Kara Danvers, I presume?”

Kara nodded and accepted Lena’s outstretched hand in greeting. She had caught glimpses of the buzzworthy new Luthor in town on one of the many screens broadcasting the local news in Cat Grant’s office, but it wasn’t the same as seeing her in person. Lena exuded power and poise… and had the most beautiful eyes Kara had ever seen.  

“It’s nice to meet you,” Lena continued, releasing her hand and taking a step back so that Kara could step inside the apartment. “Welcome to my place. I’m still getting things settled, I’ve been busy at work so…” Lena’s voice trailed off and she gestured at a few cardboard boxes still sitting in the corner of the expansive living room. “Sorry for the mess.”

Kara raised an eyebrow in amusement, “I wouldn’t consider this a mess.”

Lena hummed in…

_Disagreement? Disapproval?_

“I’m not a slob,” Kara felt the need to add on hastily.

The corners of Lena’s mouth turned up in a small amused smile. “I’ll make a note of that on my official candidate evaluation.” Lena beckoned her towards one of the doors. “I suppose I should show you the bedroom…”

“How many people am I up against?” Kara asked as she followed Lena.

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t be the only person who responded to your…” Kara’s voice trailed off as she got her first glimpse at the luxurious room that could potentially be hers. One wall was entirely composed of windows that were currently drenching the space in afternoon sunshine and revealed a stunning view of the surrounding city. The color palette was a little dismal, apartment standard, but with some bright new bedding and a few personal touches that could be remedied. Taking a step in further, she was able to see into the open door to the bathroom that held an enormous walk-in shower and jacuzzi tub. “Uhh… if this is the ‘spare bedroom,’ I’d love to see what the master suite looks like.”

Lena cleared her throat uncomfortably and Kara turned to reassure her, “I didn’t mean that literally. I’m not going to like-- invade your personal space.” She tested out offering her a teasing smile, “You can put that on my report.”

The apprehension on Lena’s face dissipated and was replaced with a smile of her own. “Noted. So… what do you think of the room?”

Kara moved to sit on the edge of the bed and couldn’t resist falling back onto the mattress with a sigh, “Soooo much better than Alex’s couch.”

“Alex is your sister, correct?”

“Adoptive sister.” Kara propped herself up on her elbows, “Not that that really makes much of a difference though.”

A wave of sadness passed over Lena’s face as she turned her gaze downward and whispered, “No, not really.” Kara’s brow furrowed and when Lena looked up, she added in explanation, “I was adopted too, when I was four. Lex was the person who made me feel the most welcome in the family. Even when I hated living in that house, hated being a part of that family, I loved being his sister.”

Lena shook her head and the vulnerability on her face disappeared into a careful composure, giving Kara the sense that she had just been privy to something rare for a brief moment.

Straightening her shoulders, Lena continued with far less emotion, “And then he became a stranger to me. I lost the small bit of pride I had in being a Luthor. Now I’m just a woman trying to make a name for herself outside of her family.” She closed her eyes and sighed, “Sorry. You’re here to see the apartment, not listen to me monologue.”

Kara stood up and moved to look out the wall of windows, “The apartment is amazing.” Over her shoulder, she added, “I’m surprised you want to share it. You don’t exactly strike me as someone who needs help affording rent.”

Lena shrugged, “It seemed wasteful to have an empty room.”

_Okay…_

That seemed a little shy from the truth, but Kara could practically hear Alex’s voice in her head reminding her not to question it.

“So when can I expect to hear from you?” she asked as they walked back out into the main living space.

“Hear from me about…?”

“If you’re choosing me. To live here. Have you met the other candidates yet?”

Lena leaned against the back of her couch with her arms crossed over her chest and gave her an assessing look, “You want to live here. With me.”

“Yes…” Kara’s confusion was evident on her face. “I thought that was implied.”  

Lena laughed dryly, “Most people wouldn’t touch a Luthor with a ten foot pole.” 

_Ah. There it is._

The heart of her motivation was becoming more clear to Kara. Maybe she needed someone to call her, _“my roommate,”_ simply because it was something other than, _“sister of a madman.”_ She felt a pang of guilt at her own initial reaction to reading the name Luthor on the advertisement. It wasn’t fair of her to let her perception of Lena be clouded by a violent rivalry neither of them had any part in.

“Well…” Kara stepped towards her and gently rested a hand on her arm, “I’m not most people.”

* * *

Lena hadn’t realized how touch starved she was until Kara moved in.

After their first meeting, she had immediately cancelled her appointment with the other candidate and had her realtor send Kara the contract she had drafted up.

Two weeks later there were colorful throw pillows on her couch and she was rediscovering the comfort of a hug.

The first time it happened, it caught her completely by surprise. It had been an incredibly exhausting day at work and she was feeling the full burden of the rebranding task she had undertaken weighing on her shoulders when she walked through the door of the apartment. Instead of the silence and haunting solitude she had grown accustomed too, she was greeted by the sound of her roommate singing along to an old Britney Spears song. The singing wasn’t a surprise. Lena had learned on day one of Kara’s residency that she had the voice of an angel… and enjoyed singing in the shower.

“Hi Lena!” Kara paused her singing to call out in greeting over the loud music before she had even taken more than two steps into the entryway. The woman had the most impressive hearing.   

“Hi,” Lena replied tiredly when she made it into the kitchen where Kara was pouring herself a bowl of cereal. She was _always_ eating. How she had the body she did when she seemed to subsist on solely coffee, cinnamon rolls, pot-stickers, pizza, and Lucky Charms, was a mystery.

Not that Lena spent a lot of time looking at or thinking about Kara’s body.

There had been one, _one_ , instance two mornings ago where Kara had come out into the kitchen in nothing but a sports bra and sweatpants to make herself a cup of coffee. It would have been rude _not_ to look at her when she asked her a question about how to go about picking up her mail. And if her eyes had dropped momentarily from her face to her chiseled abs…

“Long day?” Kara asked, adding milk to her bowl.

Slipping out of her heels and setting her bag down, she sighed, “That’s one way of putting it.”

Kara frowned, skirting around the counter to come over to her and Lena resisted the urge to take a step backwards. Not because she didn’t want Kara to be close to her, but because there was something so overwhelming about the caring warmth Kara exuded--something she hadn’t been exposed to in too long--that it felt like standing uncomfortably close to the sun.

“I’m sorry. Do you want to talk about it or…?”

Lena waved a hand dismissively, “Change is never an easy process. That’s all.”  

And then it happened. Kara hugged her.

It took her brain a moment to process what was happening. She held her body stiffly at the foreign feeling before slowly melting into the embrace.

“It doesn’t have to happen overnight,” Kara was saying to her. “Don’t forget to take care of yourself.”

She was being released before she was ready for it to be over, but that one hug had released the floodgates.  

Since then, Lena had grown accustomed to hugs in greeting, shoulder rubs--Kara had _incredibly_ strong hands that were effective on even the tightest knots--after long days of being hunched over her work, an arm casually draped over her shoulder while they watched a movie off of Kara’s long list of favorites… and she reveled in it all. It was almost embarrassing how much it meant to her to be treated to such affection, platonic as it was.

She could feel some of the walls around her heart slowly being chipped away the more time they spent together, the more she opened herself up to Kara.

Seeking out a roommate was quite possibly one of the best decisions she had ever made. Only second to filling the position with Kara. Her apartment finally felt like a home instead of a constant reminder of her isolation.

* * *

Kara shifted her bag to her shoulder to give her a better shot at successfully juggling her phone and the coffee cup carrier bearing Cat Grant’s morning usual as she weaved around pedestrians filling the city street on her way to CatCo. It was a nice day and she had decided to walk to work instead of getting an Uber, but if she didn’t hustle, she was going to be late.

One of the many upsides of her new residence was it’s closer proximity to CatCo, but that didn’t matter when the line at Noonan’s was slower than usual.

She wrapped up her call about a dress Ms. Grant was supposed to be wearing for an upcoming event with the equally flustered assistant at Givenchy just as she arrived at CatCo and darted for the elevator.

As soon as she got up to the top floor, she was bombarded by Winn yammering on about some alien sighting and had to pretend that the concept of aliens in National City was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard of.

At her desk, she uploaded her possessions and breathed a sigh of relief that Ms. Grant’s latte hadn’t ended up all over her shirt.

“Hey ummm… I was wondering if maybe, you wanna, I don’t know… go see a movie tonight?”

She turned around to look at Winn, wondering how the topic had changed so abruptly from the existence of aliens to… _was he asking her out on a date?_ Or was it just like, a friends thing? Admittedly, she wasn’t the best at differentiating. 

“I can’t. Sorry. I already have a date tonight…. Well, not like a _date_ , date.” She fidgeted with her glasses awkwardly. ”Plans. I have plans. My roommate and I are ordering take-out and watching the season premiere of Game of Thrones.”

The biggest upside of her new residence was the relationship she had developed with her roommate. To the public, Lena might seem cold and reserved, but Kara had quickly figured out that it was because that was how she knew best to protect herself against a world that had only been cold to her. Over the past two months, Kara had observed Lena slowly thawing in response to genuine friendship, and they had grown close.

“Oh.”

“Maybe some other time though?”

Winn nodded, and gave her a small smile, “Sure.”

“If you’re looking for a date tonight Winn, you should try this new app I just wrote about,” one of the web writers called from her desk nearby. “It uses a very sophisticated algorithm to determine compatibility.”

“You can’t quantify emotions based on an algorithm,” Winn rebutted.

“Isn’t your whole life based on algorithms?” Kara asked, settling into her desk for the few moments of peace she would have before Cat’s arrival.

“Yes, so if there was an algorithm for love, I think I would know about it.” Winn shook his head, “You’re just going to know when it hits you. It’ll be like, _wah-pow._ ”

“Whatever,” the writer shrugged dismissively. “I went out on a date with a guy who matched with me at 82% and we had a great time.”

“See. Maybe you should give the app a try,” Kara remarked, sifting through the pile of things that had made it on to her desk since the day before. Out of her peripheral vision she saw a dejected look pass over Winn’s face, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it because her hearing was piqued by the sound of her boss making a complaint about the elevator. It was go time.

The sun was setting and casting a golden glow over the office when the frenzied activity of the day finally came to an end. Kara collapsed into her desk chair and reached for her phone to see that she had just received a text.

**LENA: Leaving the office now. Need a pick-up?**

**KARA: Yes! Ms. Grant just left for an event so I think it’s safe for me to escape**

**LENA: Be there in ten**

Gathering up her things and saying goodbye to Winn, she headed down to the lobby and outside where Lena’s driver was pulling up to the curb. She slid into the back seat with Lena and released a long exhale.

“Long day?” Lena asked.

“Have you ever seen the Devil Wears Prada? Sometimes I feel like that’s my life.”

“I thought you liked your job?”

“I do… mostly. Every once in a while I would just like to feel appreciated.”

“I appreciate you. You’re literally my only friend in National City.”

Kara glanced over at her with a smile, “Everyone else’s loss.” Looking down at her lap, she smoothed her hands over her skirt, “I guess I just feel like maybe I’m not living up to my full potential. I thought working at such an influential company--for arguably the most influential woman in the country--could be my way at making a difference, but instead I just fetch coffee and layouts.”

“Well… everyone has to start somewhere,” Lena offered in an attempt at encouragement.

“Something tells me your first job at LuthorCorp didn’t involve spending over an hour on the phone trying to reserve tickets for orchestra seating at a showing of Wicked for your boss’s mother.”

“No. I suppose there are some advantages to going into the family business.”   

Not for the first time did Kara consider what her life would be like if she went into the family business herself. She had all the same powers Clark did. The same desire to make a difference in the world she now called home. For so long she had been striving for a “normal life,” but she wasn’t even sure what that meant anymore.

* * *

Lena changed into an old MIT sweatshirt and lounge pants before washing off her make-up and freeing her hair from the tight bun it had been in all day. Out in the world, her appearance was carefully crafted to project the image of Lena Luthor, L-Corp CEO, that she wanted people to see. At home, it was nice to strip all of that away. To just be Lena.

Out in the living room, she found a pajama-clad Kara on the phone with the pizza parlor they liked to order from.

_They._

She was still getting used to that concept, shared routines and plans and pizza orders, even after two months of Kara living with her. Their companionship filled an empty space inside of her and yet had simultaneously made another one become apparent. A longing for something more.

“Pizza is ordered,” Kara announced, hanging up her phone and sliding off the barstool she was perched on.

Lena nodded in acknowledgment and moved to pour herself a glass of wine.

“How was your day?” Kara asked. “I was so busy complaining about mine in the car that I didn’t ask.”

“It was good, actually. I think I might _finally_ be making some progress with changing public perception. I met with a representative from National City Children’s Hospital about using L-Corp tech for the new expansion they’re planning. A few months ago, we never would have been considered for such a project.”

Kara reached for her hand and squeezed it encouragingly, “Lena, that’s amazing.”

Warmth was spreading up her arm and filling up her chest from where Kara held her hand. She smiled shyly at her praise, “Thank you. For believing in me. For supporting me.”

Kara shrugged and returned her smile, “That’s what friends are for.”

  
She bit her lip. “I’ve never had a friend like you before.”  

“Me neither.” Kara stroked her hand with her thumb. One small, probably subconscious, motion. It was enough to make Lena’s heart start to beat faster.

An undecipherable look passed across Kara’s face and the air around them suddenly felt heavier. Lena wondered if Kara felt it too. The longing.

And then the doorbell rang and Kara startled, dropping her hand.

“That was fast. I wonder how they bypassed the front desk,” she muttered, darting for the door at a speed that seemed a little unnecessary... unless she was trying to escape whatever had just almost happened.

It stung.

“Alex,” Lena heard Kara greet—not the pizza guy—but her sister. After Lena realized that Kara’s sister was going to be a frequent guest, she had notified the front desk that Alex was allowed to bypass the usual formalities of being admitted upstairs. Normally, she didn’t mind Alex’s visits, but the timing of her arrival that evening was certainly inconvenient. “I totally forgot you were stopping by.”

“It’s a quick stop, I have to be at the airport in half an hour.”

“Where is it you’re headed again?” Kara was asking as they walked into the kitchen.

“Geneva. Just for a few days.” Alex turned her attention to Lena, “Hi Lena.”

“Hi Alex.”

The sisters continued their conversation and Lena scrolled idly through the news app on her phone, her mind racing through a million possible scenarios that might have transpired had Alex not arrived when she did.

* * *

Kara tried to focus on what her sister was saying to her, enough to form responses that weren’t nonsensical. Her brain was still stuck in the moment five minutes prior.

Lena’s heart. She had heard it change its pace.

If Lena had super hearing too, she would have heard hers do the same.

_Wah-pow._

She thought maybe in that moment, she understood what Winn meant.

An algorithm couldn’t quantity the feelings that had slowly been curling around her heart from the moment she first stepped inside apartment 4A.

Feelings she thought she had correctly categorized until about five minutes ago when she was suddenly a second away from doing something completely crazy.

Like kiss her best friend.

“I’ll call you when I land.”

“Huh?”

“I have to leave now, but I’ll call you as soon as I land,” her sister repeated, pulling her in for a hug. “Let you know I got there safe.”

“Oh, yeah. Good.”

“You okay?” Alex asked when she pulled away.

Kara resisted the urge to look at Lena, still standing in the kitchen, and nodded, “Yeah. It was just a crazy day at work. My brain is a little scrambled.”

_From my very busy day at work. Not my confused emotional state._

“Okay… Well, enjoy a nice relaxing evening.”

Relax.

_Relax, Kara. Relax._

She followed Alex to the door to see her out, and then it was just her and Lena alone again. Lingering in the entryway, she took a deep breath.

_‘Romantic entanglements’_ was not an element of Lena’s history that she had been granted access to yet. Although she had been entrusted with so much, that was a part of her heart that Lena kept guarded. Kara didn’t know if Lena was even capable of feeling for her the way that she was now realizing she felt for her.

“Kara?” Lena’s voice carried in from the living room. “The show will be on any minute now…”

The Starks and Lannisters provided an adequate distraction from any potential awkwardness that might have arisen. And by the time the pizza arrived during the second commercial break, Kara felt like they had settled back into their usual rhythm. As if the moment in the kitchen had never happened.

Except that she wasn’t sure she wanted that to be the case.

“Hey Le--” A breaking news announcement caught her attention and her words died on her lips as her heart sped up for an entirely different reason. Panic.

_“Shortly after take-off, National City Airlines 237, bound for Geneva, is experiencing some loss of altitude. The pilot seems to be circling the city after apparent engine failure.”_

“Kara…” Lena looked over at her, concern etched in her face. “Is that…?”

Her chest felt tight with fear as she nodded, “Alex.”

Standing up, she felt like she was on autopilot as she ran to her room in search of her shoes.  

“Where are you going?” Lena asked, watching her as she darted through the apartment in a frenzy. “There’s nothing you can--”

She was out the door before Lena finished her sentence.

There was something she could do, and she couldn’t just stay there and act like there wasn’t. Not anymore.

* * *

_“When, what many report to be a female flying form rescued them from certain death…”_

Lena sat transfixed in front of the tv, attempting to process the shock of her best friend being capable of flight.

So many things suddenly made so much more sense. Kara’s incredible hearing. Her ability to eat her body weight in Noonan’s cinnamon rolls and still have washboard abs. The fact that she never seemed to come down with so much as a sniffle, even when Lena had come down with the flu two weeks ago and Kara had dutifully taken care of her despite her protests.

_“Guardian angel or human wrecking ball? There is destruction all over Otto Binder Bridge and one…”_

“Hey! You try saving a plane for the first time. See if you don’t make a mess.”  

Lena glanced over her shoulder at the sound of Kara’s voice and was on her feet in a flash.

“Kara.”

“Hi.” Kara gave her a nervous smile before looking down at her feet, “Sorry… I’m dripping water…”

“You… you’re…” she searched for the right question to pose. A million were currently formulating in her brain and raising their hands to be asked first.  

The doorbell rang and Kara’s eyes widened, looking down at her still wet clothes.

_What is it with that doorbell ringing at the most inconvenient times tonight?_

“I’ll get it,” Lena offered. “Go change into something dry.”

At the door was Alex, who didn’t look as happy as Lena thought she should after being spared death by fiery plane crash.

“Is my sister here?” Alex asked.

“Yes…”

“I need to talk to her. Alone.”

Lena took a step back so that Alex could come inside the apartment, “She’s in her room.”

Lena knew eavesdropping was childish, but she couldn’t help herself. Positioning herself outside Kara’s door, she listened in on the conversation being exchanged inside.

“It’s been so long, I almost forgot how to fly. Well, not so much ‘how,’ but more, more how it feels. Like scared, but good scared. Like like that moment right before you kiss someone for the first time.”

Lena was jerked back to the moment in the kitchen earlier that evening. Had that particular metaphor been on Kara’s mind because they had been on the brink of kissing?

“And now… now it’s like… I’m not sure what comes next,” Kara continued. “Or maybe I am sure, and I’m just afraid of what it means. And if it means what I think it means--”

“What were you thinking?” Alex cut in. “You exposed yourself to the world. You’re out there now Kara. Everyone will know about you, and you can’t take that back.”

“I don’t want to. Alex… I’ve always felt the need to help people, and tonight I finally got that chance. I… I didn’t travel 2,000 light-years just to be an assistant.”

Lena’s eyebrows lifted. That just about confirmed her suspicion that Kara was somehow connected to Superman.

“What if people figure out who you are? What you are?” Alex asked. “I’m sure Lena’s already put it together. I know she’s your friend, but she’s also a _Luthor._ ”

Lena winced and almost walked away from the door, when she heard Kara speak again.

“I trust Lena. _Completely.”_

She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face.

“Fine,” Alex sighed. “But… but it’s not safe for you to do anything like that. Ever again.”

“Oh.” The dejection in Kara’s voice broke Lena’s heart. “I’m kind of tired, I… I just carried a plane on my back. I’m gonna go to bed. You should go.”

Lena backed away from the door quickly and watched from the kitchen as Alex walked out with her parting words, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

After Alex had gone, Lena ducked her head into Kara’s room where she was sitting on the edge of her bed. Her shoulders were slumped and disappointment was clearly evident on her face.

“There’s still some pizza left. I figure you’re probably pretty hungry right now…” 

“Yeah.”

Kara followed her into the kitchen and grabbed the leftover pizza out of the fridge before taking a seat at one of the barstools.

Lena hovered awkwardly, watching her eat. She wasn’t sure what to say, how to begin a conversation with her about the events of the evening. She was about to excuse herself to her room for the night when Kara broached the subject.

“I didn’t tell you about all this because I didn’t think it mattered. It’s not that I didn’t trust you, with everything that happened between Lex and Superman. I just… I’ve buried this part of me for so long. I had almost convinced myself I could just be normal.”  

“Why would you want to be normal when you can do…” Lena gestured at the television screen still showing footage of the rescue. “That.”

“It’s… complicated.”

“I don’t see why. You were just saying earlier that you didn’t feel like you were living up to your full potential. Which, _understatement of the year_ , by the way.” That got a small laugh out of Kara and Lena bit back a self-satisfied smile as she sat down on the stool next to her. “I know that Alex’s opinion is important to you, but could you really turn your back on this chance to make a difference? 

Kara looked over at her with raised eyebrows.

“Yes. I may have overheard some---all of your conversation. The walls are thin in here,” she justified.

Kara sighed, “She’s just trying to protect me. That’s what big sisters do.”

“Except that, unlike most little sisters, you’re bulletproof.”’

“Oh I don’t know. I’ve never been shot at, so that’s still unconfirmed.” Kara leaned her head on her hand and looked over at her. “Is it insane that I want someone to shoot at me so that I can find out?”

“A little.” Kara yawned in response, so Lena bid her goodnight, resisting the urge to tuck a damp lock of hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear. “Get some rest. You can think about throwing yourself in front of bullets in the morning.”


	2. part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone! thank you so much for all the kind feedback on part 1! enjoy part 2 :D

“How is the world supposed to take her seriously if she can’t even come up with a suit?”

_Sorry Winn, an outfit change wasn’t exactly my highest priority in the moment._

The office was abuzz all day with speculation and opinions about the mystery girl who saved the plane. It made it extremely obvious how invisible she was as Kara Danvers, to be in a room full of screens projecting her picture and have no one see the resemblance. To have Cat Grant look right through her as she told her staff, “Go get me that girl.”

**LENA: the word around here is that you’re a hero ;)**

**KARA: same here**

**KARA: and also that i need a suit**

**LENA: what’s so wrong about saving the world in your pajamas??**

Shaking her head in amusement, she looked up to see Winn looking at her with a calculating expression on his face. If anyone was going to figure it out, she knew it was going to be him. And if she didn’t have Lena to confide in, she probably would’ve told him just to have someone share her excitement, but Alex’s warning was still ringing in her ear. Until she figured out her course of action, she felt like she needed to keep her inner circle as small as possible.

“Kerah!!”

With a sigh, she set her phone down and went to see what Cat needed from her.

By the end of the day, she was full of restless energy. It was like a switch had been flipped inside of her. Using her powers again had brought them to the surface, humming like electricity under her skin.

She didn’t think it was smart to fly home in broad daylight in her work clothes, but she wasn’t sure if her feet actually touched the pavement as she seemed to float along on her walk home.

Lena wasn’t home yet when she arrived at the apartment--unsurprising since she often worked long, late, hours--but it was more disappointing than usual. She wanted to talk to her and she didn’t want to bother her at work.

To keep herself busy until she got home, she attempted to bake a pie from one of Eliza’s recipes. Burned it. Scrolled through YouTube comments on the video clip of her saving the plane. Regretted it.

She eventually settled on exercising to try to burn off some of her energy. It had been a while since she really put her strength to use--

_Well, other than lifting an entire plane._

\--and she was curious.

She was doing squats with the couch lifted over her head when Lena walked in. And promptly dropped everything she was carrying.

“Oh.” Lena’s eyes were comically wide with surprise.

“Sorry!” Kara carefully lowered the couch back into position and rushed over to help Lena gather up her things onto the kitchen counter.

“I’m uhhh… You’re not… you’re not even sweating,” Lena observed, her fingers reaching out and brushing against Kara’s bare abs before quickly retracting and twitching at her side self-consciously.

“Well it’s… it’s not really that heavy…” Kara pointed out, trying to ignore the fire that was coiling inside of her from Lena’s touch. She wasn’t sure if she was suddenly regretting her outfit choice of only a sports bra and sweatpants or not. Seeking a distraction, she gestured at the garment bag and case on the counter that Lena had brought in with her, “What’s all this?”

“This…” Lena began to unzip the garment bag. “Is what kept me at work so late.”

Kara’s breath caught in her chest as her family’s coat of arms was revealed. “Is this… is this for me?”

“No, it’s for my other Kryptonian friend,” Lena teased. She nudged her shoulder against hers, “Of course it’s for you. As much as I support saving the world in pajamas, we can’t have anyone thinking you’re some amatuer superhero. I used a new synthetic material that we just developed at LCorp. It’s an upgrade on kevlar that’s extremely resilient, but still comfortable. Maybe not _quite_ as indestructible as you, but should hold up to just about anything.”

“Wow.” Kara ran her hands along the blue and red fabric. “I can’t believe you made this for me.”

Lena shrugged, “It was a much more enjoyable way to spend my day than sitting through meetings with old white men who think they know how to run my company better than I do.”

“Thank you. You’re amazing.” She clutched the ensemble to her chest. “I love it.”

Lena beamed at the praise, “You’re welcome.” Turning back to the counter, she opened the case to reveal a pair of red boots. “Can’t forget the shoes.”

“Oh. I am going to look so badass. Can I try it on now?”

“Knock yourself out, it’s all yours.”

Kara retreated into her room and stripped out of her workout clothes to change into the suit. Lena was right about the material, it felt like an extension of her skin. Strong. Soft.

Letting her hair down from the bun she had it in and shaking out the curls, she did a few twirls in front of the mirror, a giddy smile forming on her face as her cape rippled behind her.

She looked like a superhero.

“How do I look?” Kara asked when she walked out into the living room to model for Lena.

Lena’s eyes dropped down her body and she nodded, meeting her eyes with a smug smile, “I did good.”

“Yes. You did. I especially appreciate the shorts,” Kara remarked, flipping up the material of the skirt.

Lena shrugged, “Can’t have you flashing all of National City when you’re flying around. The skirt is a classic, very…  _Amazonian warrior_ , but not necessarily the most practical in all situations. Before I left the office, I drafted up plans for a second tactical suit with pants, so you have options. I should be able to finish it tomorrow.”

She shouldn’t have been surprised by the fact that Lena was investing so much of her time and resources into helping her. She knew her friend was generous, supportive... and yet it still took her aback. Especially after Alex’s less than enthusiastic response to the idea of her stepping into her power, she was incredibly grateful to have someone in her corner.

“Wow, okay. Perfect. Thank you.” Resting her hands on her hips--she had watched a TEDtalk the other day about power posing, she took a deep breath to calm the nervous butterflies fluttering in her stomach. It was all becoming so real. She was doing this. “I want to take it out for a test drive.”

“I thought you would.” Lena reached for her laptop. “I hacked into the NCPD. Let’s find you a crime to stop.”

* * *

“Kara?” Lena inquired, testing out the comms device.

Kara’s voice came through clearly, “Yeah, I hear you. What have you got for me?”

“Okay, we’ve got a 432 in progress on Sixth and Spring. Suspects are armed and dangerous.” Lena worried her bottom lip between her teeth. “You feel pretty good about that whole bulletproof thing, right?”  

“Only one way to find out!”

Lena closed her eyes and took a deep breath, “Keep me posted.”

The silence on Kara’s end, for what was probably twenty minutes but felt like hours, was deafening. Drumming her fingers on the kitchen counter, she reminded herself how strong Kara was. She was composed of the same DNA as Superman, and Lena had witnessed firsthand what happened when a mere mortal clashed with Kryptonian might.

But she was still working on wrapping her head around the image of all of that power coexisting with her best friend who loved to sing along to musicals and got powdered sugar on her nose when she ate donuts.

Finally, she heard Kara’s voice again over the comms and she released a sigh of relief.

“Definitely bulletproof,” Kara’s voice was laced with excitement. “On my way home now.”

Lena closed her laptop and walked out onto the balcony to watch for her arrival. When she arrived, she immediately burst into a recap of her escapade.

“I mean, you should’ve seen their faces when the bullets just bounced right off of me.” Kara shook her head in wonder, a grin spreading across her face. She was practically humming with electricity as she paced around the balcony, waving her hands emphatically. “It was amazing. What a rush. I always knew I was basically invincible, but just knowing something doesn’t compare to feeling it. I never want to hold my powers back again.” Kara met Lena’s eyes. “I don’t want to hold anything back.”  

Before Lena had a chance to process the expression held in her gaze, Kara had crossed the distance between them and was cradling her face to crash her lips against hers.

It was over far before Lena wanted it to be.

“Was that okay?” Kara whispered, catching her bottom lip between her teeth as uncertainty filled her eyes and she fisted her hands at her sides. “I didn’t mean to--- I just--”

Lena didn’t give her a chance to find the words she was searching for before she was pulling her towards her and kissing her again.

_To answer your question... more than okay. So much more than just okay._

Kara scooped her up like she weighed no more than a feather--which to her was probably the case--and Lena wrapped her legs around her waist, laughing when they got a little tangled up in Kara’s cape. Her heart felt lighter than it had in years.

They floated inside the apartment, intertwined and hovering a few inches above the floor, where Kara pressed her against one of the walls as she deepened the kiss. It was everything Lena had imagined since the moment in the kitchen the night before, and so much more.

She was in love with her best friend. And in that moment she was convinced that there was nothing better.

Kara’s fingers dug into her hips-- _hard_ \--and her breath caught in her chest. She was going to have bruises. She was too occupied by the softest, most inviting, mouth she had ever kissed to care.  

But Kara pulled away, apprehensiveness flashing on her face as she set her down and tucked her hands behind her back like she was afraid of them.      

“I--I’m sorry. I want this. So _much_. I was afraid of kissing you, afraid I would ruin our friendship if you didn’t feel the same way,” Kara admitted. “But then I stood in front of a line of fire and it felt so good to be fearless… I didn’t want to lose that feeling. I just… I’m still figuring out how to control my strength after pushing it down for so long and it takes a lot of focus and it’s hard to focus when…” A blush spread across her cheeks before she shook her head, “I don’t want to accidentally hurt you. Can we…”

Lena took a step towards her to close the distance between them again and looped her arms around her neck. “Take things slow?”

“Yeah.”

Lena tipped Kara’s head down gently to rest her forehead against hers, “Of course. And if it wasn’t already obvious, I definitely feel the same way.”

The corners of Kara’s mouth turned up into a smile and Lena pressed a gentle, chaste kiss to her lips where some dark lipstick was now smudged.

Kara looked down at her suit, “I should probably change out of this. And take a shower. I smell a little bit like firearm propellant.”

Lena shook her head in amusement and nudged her in the direction of her room. After changing into her own pajamas, she drifted over to Kara’s room and discovered she had left the door open.  

Leaning in the doorway, listening to Kara singing in the shower, Lena thought back to when she stood there and showed her potential roommate the apartment for the first time. She had been so afraid of being vulnerable, of letting someone into her world.

It was the best risk she had even taken.

A few weeks ago she had confessed to Kara her initial paranoid speculation that she had answered her ad because she was being sent in as a CatCo spy to get an exclusive.

_“Trust me, Ms. Grant doesn’t think I’m useful for anything other than fetching lettuce wraps and cancelling lunches with her mother.”_

_“I do trust you. It’s… nice to have someone in my life that I can.”_

She was caught up in her thoughts and didn’t notice that the singing had stopped until Kara was stepping out of the bathroom in an oversized t-shirt, toweling off her hair. Lena swallowed thickly as the bottom hemline of the shirt rode up with the movement, exposing more of Kara’s bare, muscular thighs.

She lifted her eyes back up into safer territory for someone who had just made assurances that they would take things slow.

“Oh.” Kara paused when she saw her. “Hey.”

“Hey…” She didn’t want to say goodnight and close the door. “You want to come see the master suite?”

* * *

Kara woke up from the most incredible dream to discover it hadn’t been one.

Soft, dark hair was tickling her face and fingers were clutching the fabric of her sleep shirt.

Running her hands lightly up and down Lena’s back, she listened to her breathing and heard the moment she started to rouse from slumber.

“Good morning,” Kara whispered.

“Good morning,” Lena muttered drowsily, her eyes fluttering open and a soft smile lighting up her face. “Hi.”

Kara returned her smile, “Hi.”

She had never kissed a woman before. Like using her powers, it felt like coming home to a part of herself that had long been waiting to be awakened.  

Remembering why she had put a stop to things the night before, Kara shifted to lift up the bottom of Lena’s shirt and investigate the evidence of her lapse in control.

“What are you--”

Finding small fingerprint shaped bruises marking her skin, she dropped delicate kisses there before lifting her gaze apologetically, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Lena reassured her, stroking her hair. “It’s just a little bruise. It doesn’t hurt.”

“I could’ve hurt you though. I’ve accidentally broken a few noses doing far less than what I want to do to you.” Kara ran her fingertips along the waistband of Lena’s pants, biting back a satisfied smirk as she listened to Lena’s heartbeat and breathing speed up.

“I had an idea last night, before I fell asleep. You get your power from the sun, right? Our sun.” Kara nodded in confirmation and Lena continued, “So what if I could create some sort of artificial sunlight that mimics Krypton’s sun? Then you wouldn’t have to worry about holding back your strength…”

“You’re brilliant.” Kara moved back up her body to kiss her and Lena eagerly kissed her back.  

Kara was trailing kisses down Lena’s neck when they were interrupted by the sound of her stomach rumbling loudly and she pulled away with a sheepish expression.

“My body burns through a lot of energy when I use my powers. I guess I was a little too distracted last night to think about eating….”

“I must be a pretty good kisser then,” Lena teased. “I didn’t know anything could keep you from thinking about food.”

Kara shook her head in feigned annoyance before an idea sparked in her brain and she leaned down to kiss her. “Wait here.”

She returned in a length of time only made possible by super speed with a box of fresh-from-the-oven cinnamon rolls from Noonan’s.

“I know your usual breakfast of choice is those gross smoothies, but—“ Lena opened her mouth to protest and Kara fed her a piece of sugary dough. “—but it’s a weekend so…”

“Mmmm.” Lena licked cinnamon sugar off her lips. “My smoothies are not gross.”

“Kale should not be an ingredient in a breakfast. Or any meal.”

Lena shrugged, “Don’t knock it until you try it.” Kara screwed up her face in disgust and Lena laughed, tearing off another bite of cinnamon roll, “But I will never turn down baked goods delivered to me in bed.”

They lingered in bed for a while before Kara started to feel the hum of restless energy under her skin again--her powers, calling to her to be put to use.

Lena reopened her link to the NCPD radio stream and reported, “Four-alarm fire at Gates and Igle…. I’m assuming you can’t catch on fire?”

“Only one way to find out!” Kara was in her suit and out the window in a flurry, flying towards the inferno.   

She was in sight of the building when she was struck down by two darts that had her careening towards the street. Over the comms she could hear Lena inquiring after her, but she wasn’t able to respond before she was crashing into a car and losing consciousness.

By the time Kara returned to the apartment over two hours later, Lena had worn a track in the carpet from nervous pacing. She flung herself at Kara as soon as she touched down in the living room, enveloping her in a hug.

“What happened? Where have you been?”

Kara ran her hands down Lena’s arms in comforting strokes, “I’m sorry. I got ambushed, but I’m okay.”

“Ambushed?”

“My sister…” She took a deep breath to calm her swirling emotions. Anger. Betrayal. Hurt. “Turns out she works for a secret government agency that monitors alien activity. They captured me, brought me into their facility, told me I need to stop playing hero. There was definitely an _‘or else’_ implied.”

Belatedly, she realized she probably wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about the DEO, but she was too upset to care.

She dipped her head, crestfallen, “What am I going to do? I can’t… I can’t go back to just fetching coffee.”

“I’m so sorry Kara. They’re being incredibly unfair to you. I mean, Superman isn’t kept on a government leash and told not to use his powers.”  

“Right? Is it so wrong for me to want to make a name for myself too?”

* * *

After laying low for the rest of the weekend, Kara walked into work on Monday morning to discover that she had made a name for herself. Or more accurately, Ms. Grant had made a name for her.  

“And what do you think is so bad about _‘Girl?’_ I’m a girl. And your boss, and powerful, and rich, and hot, and smart. So if you perceive _‘Supergirl’_ as anything less than excellent, isn’t the real problem you?”

_Arguably, Ms. Grant, the real problem is the secret government agency who doesn’t want there to be a Supergirl._

It was difficult to be around the excited buzz in the office over National City’s new hero when she was internally warring over whether or not she could defy the DEO. The answer would’ve been an automatic yes if she didn’t know that they were in possession of Kryptonite. Alex might hesitate in following through with the threats, but she didn’t think the other agents would.

**LENA: So… Supergirl, huh?**

**KARA: Not my idea**

**LENA: I like it ❤️**

**LENA: Who would’ve believed it? A Luthor and a Super working together**

**KARA: Well, statiscally, women are more cooperative than men 💁**

Later on in the day, Kara was mid-conversation with James when she felt a stabbing pain shoot through her head.

_“I’m communicating at 50,000 hertz. If you can hear this, you were not born on this Earth.”_

She brushed off James’ concern and excused herself as the voice continued to feel like it was splitting open her brain.

_“Painful, isn’t it? I’ve been watching you, I know who you care about. Your friend will suffer 10 times this pain if you don’t face me. And then when I’m finished with her, I’ll unleash on the entire city.”_

Kara’s chest tightened in panic.

_Lena._

_"Meet me at the National City Power Plant. Prove that you’re not a coward, daughter of Alura.”_

DEO be damned, she wasn’t a coward and she wasn’t letting anyone get hurt at her expense.

When she arrived at the power plant, she scanned the area for signs of Lena with her x-ray vision, but was thwarted by the lead lining everything. Whoever was after her was clever.

She tuned in to the resonance of Lena’s heartbeat instead and found it racing with fear.

“Lena!” she called out, trying to locate the origin of the sound. “Lena!”

Someone attacked her from behind and sent her slamming into the ground before she could react. Pushing herself up onto her elbows, she looked to her assailant.

“On my planet, females bow before males,” he taunted.

She regained her footing and countered, “This is not your planet. Now, where is she?”

Ignoring her question, he took a step closer to her, “You look like Alura.”

“How do you know my mother’s name?”

“You don’t easily forget the name of the woman who condemned you to prison.”

Kara remembered what she had been told at the DEO, “Fort Rozz?”

“She was our judge and jailer. Can’t kill her, so killing you will have to do.”

She didn’t give him another chance to strike first. Launching herself at him, she sent him smashing through a concrete wall and sprawling onto the ground.

“Where. Is. Lena?” she growled.

He got up quickly and blocked her punches easily, grabbing her by the throat and constricting her windpipe. “I think you’ve got bigger concerns than her right now.”

She clawed at his wrists but her strength was useless against someone who was able to channel the same power from the sun. He threw her into the nearby building and she groaned as her body broke through the walls. Before she was able to recover, he was there, tossing her around like a sack of flour.

“Just because you wear that symbol on your chest doesn’t mean you’re him. Fighting him would be an honor. Fighting you is just exercise.”

Rising up to her feet, she threw punch after punch, her frustration mounting as they were all blocked. She found herself on the ground again. If her skin was capable of bruising, it would be more black and blue than not.  

The thought of Lena in the hands of this monster filled her with rage.

“You actually think that you could stop me? That you’d be able to stop any of us?”

She tried so hard to channel it, to let her anger work for her like it clearly was for him. But instead she just felt weakness like she had never experienced before as he continued to strike at her. His axe, whatever it was made of was capable of cutting her. She hadn’t suffered so much as a papercut since arriving on Earth and suddenly blood was streaming from her arm.

“Now you know what it’s like to bleed. Soon, your whole city will bleed.” He grinned wickedly, “Starting with your precious Lena.”  

The life felt like it was draining out of her as his hands tightened around her throat.

_I’m sorry Lena. I’m so sorry--_

Her vision had gone almost completely black when an explosion rocked the area and her attacker was replaced by Alex, holding onto her and repeating reassurances.

“Lena. He has Lena,” she managed to get out before passing out in her sister’s arms.

* * *

Kara awoke in the DEO and bolted upright, “Where is Lena?”

“Easy,” Alex gently guided her back down against the pillows. “She’s okay, one of our agents found her at the power plant, mostly unharmed except for a few scratches, and got her home safely at her request. You can go see her as soon as I’m finished running your diagnostics.”

Relief flooded her, quickly mixing with guilt. Lena had been in danger because of her. Alex had been right to try and keep her from using her powers. Her attempts at playing hero had only put a giant target on her and everyone she loved. And she had needed her big sister to rescue her. So some hero she turned out to be.

She looked down at her arm to see that her skin no longer bore any evidence of the wound the axe had inflicted.  

“You’re going to be okay. As soon as I removed the blade fragment, your healing abilities kicked right in.”

“I’ve never felt pain like that before.” Shaking her head, she amended, “I’ve never felt pain at all.”

“You’re not indestructible Kara. Nice move nearly letting that alien cut you in half,” the man who had chewed her out the other day interjected before addressing Alex. “If we can ID his weapon, it might give us a way to defeat him.” On his way out of the room, he added over his shoulder at Kara, “So I guess you did help.”

“Did you know about my mom?” Kara asked Alex. “That she was the one who locked up all those aliens?”

“It’s why I didn’t want you going out there. Showing yourself.” Alex pointed at the crest on her chest, “Showing this. The Fort Rozz escapees would give anything to get revenge on your mother and the only way that they can do that now is to hurt you. I’m trying to protect you.”

“And you were right. The world doesn’t need me.”

* * *

Kara was apologizing for the hundredth time since she arrived back at the apartment. Besides being a little shaken up over getting kidnapped, and a few minor bruises and cuts that she had already cleaned up, Lena didn’t think her condition required so much absolution. Being a Luthor required a spine of steel. But Kara wasn’t listening to any of her reassurances.

“He took you because he knew how important you are to me.” Kara hung her head, “All I’ve done since putting on this suit is gotten you hurt.”

“Well, that’s the whole point of heroes having secret identities, right? To protect the people closest to them. In the future, I should probably just avoid being spotted kissing Supergirl on my balcony, and I’ll be fine.” Lena tipped her head to the side and smiled wryly, “Well, as fine as I can be. I’m a Luthor, there’s been a target on my back my whole life.” She clutched Kara’s hand tightly, “Please Kara. Please don’t pull away. I’m not afraid.”

Kara smiled sadly and gently brushed her fingers along the scratch on her cheek before resting a hand on her shoulder, “You should get some rest. We can talk more in the morning.”

“Come to bed with me?”

“I’m not tired yet. I’m just gonna…” she waved a hand non-committedly at the living room and Lena took the hint, her shoulders slumping in defeat.  

“Okay. Goodnight Kara.” Rolling up on her toes, she pressed a kiss to her cheek and turned away to retreat into her room before Kara could see the tears forming in her eyes.

The peace and happiness she had felt the other morning when they shared cinnamon rolls in her bed after sharing their first kiss felt like grains of sand that had all slipped from her hands. Had it been foolish of her to think that she could have something so good and pure in her life?

* * *

Kara sat on the couch, curled tightly into a ball and wallowing in her defeat when she heard a soft knock at the door. “Kara, it’s me. Can we talk? I know you can see me...”

She didn’t want to face her sister, but Alex kept talking, “I know what you’re thinking. That this is all your fault, but it’s not. Before you came to live with us, I was the star. And then, I mean, how could I compete with you? With someone who could touch the stars? You know, I was happy when you decided not to use your powers. You know, you feeling like less, somehow… made me feel like more. Now the world needs you to fly, Kara.”

Rising to her feet, she walked over to the door to step out into the hallway so she could talk to Alex without waking Lena.

“I can’t Alex. I’m not strong enough. I couldn’t save Lena, I couldn’t win.” She shook her head, “I can’t do it. I can’t be a hero like him.”

“Yeah, you can. Your family believes in you.”

Kara sighed, “I know you do, but--”

Alex pulled something out of her bag, “Oh, I don’t mean me.”

Kara traced her fingers along the inscription etched in the metal, “That’s Kryptonese writing.”

“Yeah. Hank and his old team recovered it from the pod that brought you to Earth.”

She invited Alex into her room and shut the door to muffle the noise as they initiated the device to project an image of her mother. Tears streamed down her face as the message played.

_“There is no correct path in life. You will lose your way many times. What’s important is that you find your way back to the brave girl you always were. Be wise, be strong, and always be true to yourself.”_

Even now, her mom still had just the right words to say. She had been brave when she rescued the plane, when she walked confidently into a line of fire, when she kissed the woman she loved. At her bravest, she had felt the most alive.

When she reached out for the projection and it flickered away, a sob shuddered in her chest at the reminder that the distance between them was too great to ever be crossed.

Turning to Alex, she let her sister pull her in for the hug she couldn’t receive from her mother.  

“So what do we do now?” she asked when she pulled away.  

“Now, you get some sleep.” Alex rested her hands on her shoulders, “Recover from today, put it behind you. I need you ready to fight when we get a location on Vartox.”

“But the DEO--”

“Can’t afford to lose me,” Alex finished for her, squeezing her shoulders. “And we’re now a package deal.”

Kara wiped away her tears and smiled, “Okay.”

After she showed Alex out, she started to return to her room before turning towards Lena’s door instead. She hadn’t liked it when everyone was making decisions for her in the name of her protection, she wouldn’t treat Lena the same way. If Lena still wanted her after everything…

Quietly pushing open the door, she floated over to the bed to land softly next to Lena.

“Kara?” Lena murmured sleepily.

“Yeah. It’s me.” She pulled Lena against her and pressed a kiss into her hair. “You’re safe. I’m not going anywhere. Go back to sleep.”

* * *

“Just drink it.”

“I don’t want to.”

Lena shook her head in amusement at the childlike disgust on Kara’s face as she eyed the smoothie she had made for her.

“This is going to give you the edge you need over Vartox so you can beat him this time,” she insisted.

They had woken up early to Kara’s phone ringing with a call from Alex to be ready to go at any moment and Kara had filled Lena in on her sister’s change of heart and the message from her mother.

Kara looked skeptically at the green liquid, “I’m pretty sure it’s my stronger belief in myself that’s going to make the difference.”

“Mhmm.” Lena dropped a straw into the smoothie and held it out to her. “And kale.”

“Urrrgh… Fine.” Kara took the tiniest sip, wrinkling her nose at the taste. “But I’m only drinking this because you made it.” Her phone rang and she set the glass down, muttering, “Saved by the cell. It’s Alex.”

Lena watched as Kara nodded in response to whatever her sister was saying before replying with, “Be right there.” She hung up and addressed Lena, “They’ve found a way to get a hit on Vartox. I have to go meet Alex at the DEO.”

“Okay.”

Kara pulled her in for a parting hug. “I love you.”

Lena beamed as the words washed over her. Genuine, expressed love was not something she had experienced in abundance in her life. Kara worried that she would only put her in danger, but the truth was that she made her feel safer than she ever had. Safe enough to love without fear of not being loved in return.

“I love you too.”

Kara pulled away from their hug to meet her eyes, “I won’t fail this time. I promise, I’m gonna come home to you.”

“I know.” Lena rolled up on her toes to press a kiss to Kara’s cheek. “Good luck.”

* * *

“Kerah!!!”

Kara took a calming breath as she walked towards Cat Grant’s office. The irony that she had just faced off against a homicidal alien and she was more nervous about facing her boss was not lost on her. Fortunately, she had come prepared. James had mentioned to her the other day that his Pulitzer winning photo of Superman had been posed and it gave her an idea. She just hoped it would work. As much as she complained about her job, she really didn’t want to get fired.

“Where have you been all morning? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t fire you.”

_I prevented an alien from unleashing hell on the city?_

“I got you this.”

She held out the photographic print of Supergirl flying past the CatCo tower and Cat’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Well. I suppose you’ve bought yourself another day then.”

Kara released a sigh of relief and relinquished the photo of her alter ego to Cat. Backing out of the office before she could change her mind, she stopped by James’ office.

“The boss lady was appeased,” she reported. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Clark made me promise I’d look out for you… although sparing you from the wrath of Cat Grant might not have been what he had in mind.”

Lena had let her know she was going to stay late at the office since she hadn’t gone in until after Kara returned home safely from her fight, so when she finished catching up on her own neglected responsibilities for the day, she took off for LCorp.

Touching down on the balcony, she pressed open the glass door and stepped inside the office, “Hey you.”

Lena swiveled around in her chair and the tired look on her face shifted into a bright smile, “Hey. How’d things go with Cat?”

“I live to fetch coffee another day.”

“That’s good. Although I could’ve arranged a job for you here if she let you go.”

“Hmmm but then there would’ve been scandalous rumors circulating that I got my job by sleeping with the boss,” Kara replied teasingly, taking a step closer and dipping her head down to kiss her. “Need a ride home?”

Uncertainty passed across Lena’s face, “You know I hate flying...”

Kara took her hands in her own, “That’s only because you’ve never had the right pilot before.” She tugged on her hands encouragingly, "C'mon, you're going to love it." 

Lena arched an eyebrow, "You sure about that?" 

"Only one way to find out!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come talk to me on twitter @mo_writes and tumblr @ mogirl97

**Author's Note:**

> come talk to me on twitter @mo_writes and tumblr @ mogirl97
> 
> part 2 coming saturday night!


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